The English modal verbs are often challenging for learnersof English. This happens for many
reasons, including bothgrammar and meaning.

In this Hint, we'll see more
about should.

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Should #2

The modal auxiliary shouldhas several
uses. We've just
seen that one common one is in
showing advisability--
showing that something
is a good idea.

Another use for should is in showing expectation--that
is,using information that is already known in
order to state,based on the information, what
one expects to happen(or what
one expects not to happen).

Examples:

A:

It's nearly 1:00 PM. Are you sure the busis
coming?

B:

Yes, it shouldbe here very soon. It's neverarrived later than 1:05.

(B doesn't
really know when / if the bus will arrive, but in thepast
it has arrived no later than 1:05. Because of this information,B expects that the bus will arrive no later
than that time. (1:05is B's "best guess,"
based on what she / he already knows.)

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A:

Do you think I'll do OK on the test?

B:

You shouldn'thave any problems with itbecause you've
studied really hard.

(Because
B knows that A has studied really hard for the test,he
/ she expects that A won't have any problems with
it andwill do well on it. (This is B's "best
guess," based on theinformation that B already
knows.)

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A:

I need an oil change. When can you do it?

B:

There's only one car ahead of you, andwe're
almost finished with it. We shouldbe able
to get to your car in about 30 minutes.

(Because
B has an idea of how much time will be neededto
finish the other car, B expects
that A's oil change canbe done in approximately
30 minutes. (The time might beless or more than
30 minutes, but 30 minutes is B's"best guess,"
based on the information that he / she has.)

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A:

How soon will we arrive in Los Angeles?

B:

It shouldn'tbe much longer. Our flight.is about
four hours, and we've been inthe air around three
hours and 45 minutes.

(B doesn't
really know when he / she and A will arrive inLos
Angeles, but B's "best guess," based on what she /
healready knows about the length of the flight
and how longthey have been traveling, is that
they won't be in the airmuch longer.)

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Special Note:

This use of shoulddoes not show a requirement. It also doesn'tshow
a promise. When should is used to show expectation, theexpectation is not something that is definitely known,
but is,instead, a conclusion or "best guess"
based on that information.Because of this, the
expectation may or may not actually happen.

("I should be home by
5:30" shows when I expect to be home,not
when I will be home. "I should be home" is more
definitethan "I may be home" or "I
might be home," but it is still nota promise
that I will be home at 5:30.)